# Πλειάδες
## Ancient Greek
### Alternative forms

* Πληϊάδες (Plēïádes) — Epic, Ionic
* Πληΐαδες (Plēḯades) — Aeolic
* Πελειάδες (Peleiádes) — influenced by πελειάς (peleiás, “dove”)

### Etymology

Apparently from πλέω (pléō, “to sail”) because of the star cluster’s importance in delimiting the sailing season in the Mediterranean Sea: "the season of navigation began with their heliacal rising". The mythological sisters were probably named after the star cluster, rather than vice versa.
The singular Πλειάς (Pleiás) is sometimes found referring to the star cluster.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pleː.á.des/ → /pliˈa.ðes/ → /pliˈa.ðes/
* (5th BCE Attic) IPA: /pleː.á.des/
* (1st CE Egyptian) IPA: /pliˈa.des/
* (4th CE Koine) IPA: /pliˈa.ðes/
* (10th CE Byzantine) IPA: /pliˈa.ðes/
* (15th CE Constantinopolitan) IPA: /pliˈa.ðes/

### Proper noun

Πλειάδες • (Pleiádes) f pl (genitive Πλειάδων); third declension
* (astronomy) Pleiades (star cluster)
* (Greek mythology) Pleiades (seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione)

#### Hyponyms

* Ἀλκυόνη (Alkuónē, “Alcyone”)
* Ἠλέκτρᾱ (Ēléktrā, “Electra”)
* Κελαινώ (Kelainṓ, “Celaeno”)
* Μαῖα (Maîa, “Maia”)
* Μερόπη (Merópē, “Merope”)
* Στερόπη (Sterópē, “Sterope”)
* Ταϋγέτη (Taügétē, “Taygete”)

#### Descendants

* Greek: Πλειάδες (Pleiádes)
* → Asturian: Pléyades
* → Basque: Pleiade
* → Breton: Pleiadezed
* → Bulgarian: Плеяди (Plejadi)
* → Catalan: Plèiades
* → Mandarin: 普勒阿得斯 (Pǔlè'ādésī)
* → Czech: Plejády
* → Danish: Plejaderne
* → Dutch: Pleiaden
* → Esperanto: Plejadoj
* → Estonian: Plejaadid
* → Finnish: Plejadit, plejadi
* → French: Pléiades
* → Galician: Pléiades
* → Georgian: პლეადები (ṗleadebi)
* → German: Plejaden
* → Hebrew: פְּלִיאָדוֹת (Pliadót)
* → Hungarian: pleiaszok, Plejádok
* → Ido: Pleyado
* → Italian: Pleiadi
* → Japanese: プレイアデス (Pureiadesu)
* → Korean: 플레이아데스 (Peulleiadeseu)
* → Latin: Plēiadēs
* → Latvian: Plejādes
* → Lithuanian: Plejadės
* → Luxembourgish: Pleiaden
* → Norwegian: Pleiadene
* → Occitan: pleiades
* → Polish: plejada, Plejady
* → Portuguese: Plêiades
* → Romanian: Pleiada
* → Russian: Плея́ды (Plejády)
* → Serbo-Croatian: Plejade
* → Slovak: Plejády
* → Slovene: Plejade
* → Spanish: Pléyades
* → Swedish: Plejaderna
* → Thai: ไพลยาดีส (plaiyaadèet)
* → Ukrainian: Плея́ди (Plejády)

### References

* ↑ “Pleiad”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.

### Further reading

* “Πλειάδες”, in ΛΟΓΕΙΟΝ [Logeion] Dictionaries for Ancient Greek and Latin (in English, French, Spanish, German, Dutch and Chinese), University of Chicago, since 2011
* “Πλειάδες”, in Liddell & Scott (1940) A Greek–English Lexicon, Oxford: Clarendon Press

## Greek
### Etymology

Ancient Greek Πλειάδες (Pleiádes), possibly from πλέω (pléō, “to sail”), or possibly from a plural of πέλεια (péleia, “dove”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /pliˈa.ðes/

### Proper noun

Πλειάδες • (Pleiádes) f pl
* (astronomy) Pleiades (star cluster in Taurus)
* (Greek mythology) Pleiades (seven daughters of Atlas and Pleione)

#### Hyponyms

* Αλκυόνη (Alkyóni, “Alcyone”)
* Ηλέκτρα (Iléktra, “Electra”)
* Κελαινώ (Kelainó, “Celaeno”)
* Μαία (Maía, “Maia”)
* Μερόπη (Merópi, “Merope”)
* Στερόπη (Sterópi, “Sterope”)
* Ταϋγέτη (Taÿgéti, “Taygete”)

### References

* James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Πλειάδες”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC.